More info to come…

I’ll continue to post information as I am able… a cleaned up order of events, links to results, etc. Some other info regarding memberships and uniforms (which was sent out via email), can also be found at the bottom of this page).

Hotels

I will be booking a room at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West - O'Hare. It’s a few miles from the track and offers free breakfast. Like a lot of other hotels in this area, it’s on the pricey side. I am going to be there for the entire weekend, running back and forth. And they offer a free breakfast. But I’ve also got a search for hotels in the area linked here. Feel free to book wherever best meets your needs!

Event Signup for the 2024 USATF IL Championships

Couple key items about event signups to keep in mind:

• What events your athlete competes in is up to you and your athlete. There are no limits on the number of athletes we can enter.

• The only thing I cannot guarantee is relays. Because of the age divisions and the travel involved this year, putting a relay together could get complicated. But if you are interested in being on a relay, list it below.

• A full list of events are listed here.

• Keep in mind that age divisions are based on the athletes Birth Year, not their DOB/current age. You can find the breakdown of age divisions here.

• I have 4 slots below for events, but you aren’t required to fill those all out. Your athlete can compete in as few as one.

• Event fees are $10 per event. I will invoice you after you have selected the events for your athlete.

Additional Info (As of 6.14.24)

• USATF Memberships - Members who have sent their birth certificates and paid their membership dues, I've gotten those processed and you are good to go.

• Birth Certificates (New Members) - Anyone who hasn't gotten me their birth certificate, I would say that the last day we can reasonably expect to get those turned in and have them processed by the entry deadline is Monday. If you can get a picture of your athletes birth certificate sent to me over the weekend, that would be ideal. You can send it to me via text (618-204-2622), email it to me at rdenton81@icloud.com, or FB message it to me.

• Uniforms for New Members - I will be reaching out to our person regarding jerseys over the weekend to make sure those are going to be here in a timely manner. I will keep everyone posted on those.

• Order of Events / Schedule - This event page will eventually include a more cleaned up order of events (the one they have on their site can be hard to read, but getting it cleaned up will take a little time on my part)... I'll have that on there asap.

• Event Times - As much as I wish that they had a timed event schedule, they do not. They give an overall start time for the day (listed on the above event schedule), and then they roll from there. And as much as I wish I could accurately predict what time your athlete's events will be, it's just really tough to do. I might be able to give folks a general idea, but my suggestion is to always be early, maybe a little earlier than you think. I'd hate for anyone to miss their event, especially with the lengthy trip we are all making.

• Hotels - As mentioned above, I am planning to book a room at the Holiday Inn Express, which is just a few miles from the school and offers breakfast since I'll be there for the entirety of the weekend and be running back and forth. There are definitely cheaper options (but it seems like we'll be paying Chicago prices in the Maywood area (and it doesn't appear we are bringing enough to get any kind of significant group rate). I've got a link to a Hotels.com search with other options, and you are welcome to book wherever you like.

• If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out. I'll get back with you as promptly as I can!



Meet Info / Order of Events

Team Entry List

Live Results

*Top 5 in each event are eligible to move on to Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.

Heat Sheets / Live Results

First of all, appreciate everyone’s patience. Getting organized for our first-ever USATF meet has been a learning experience. Below is some important info for everyone going into the weekend…

Schedule/Arrival

• From what I recall last year, I don’t expect race by race schedule to be released. They have provided a start time (running events start at 3pm on Friday and Noon Saturday/Sunday), and races take place on a rolling schedule (one right after the other). There are quite a few age divisions, but they keep it rolling pretty well. Just a reminder, you can view the order of events with what times they have provided here.

• When you arrive, the best parking area is the Grass parking next to the Soccer Field (if weather permits parking there). You’ll have to walk around the soccer field to get to the gate/entry area for the track.

• I will be arriving early on Friday and picking up our team packet, which will have our kid’s BIB numbers, etc. They’ll need those to get in without paying. Parents/family, etc. will be charged $10 to get in. Text or call me at 618-204-2622, and either myself or Coach Short will meet you at the gate to give you your athlete’s BIB. Just an FYI, concessions and t-shirts are sold at the facility.

Prepping for your Event

• Once running events begin for the day, the track will be closed. So athletes essentially have to find a location outside the facility to get warmed up (much like the IHSA state meet). Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of great locations. A few decent grassy areas, some wide sidewalks, etc.

• Extremely important that you and your athlete listen for announcements and calls. They will announce when athletes need to report. There is a check-in tent for all races, and athletes are walked from the tent to the start of their race. If the athlete isn’t in the tent when they need to be, they won’t be allowed to run, and they cannot leave the check-in area once they arrive. So any warmups need to be done before it’s time to check in. Field event competitors simply check in at their field event.

Seeding, Medals, Qualifying, etc.

• As of yet, no true heat sheets have been provided, but you can find a seeding list of all entries here. Locate your athlete’s race and age group to see a full seed list. Just a reminder, the age groups are decided by birth year, not your athlete’s actual age.

• There are prelims in the 100, 200, and Short Hurdle Races. The top 9 in these races move on to the finals.

• Top 3 places in each event medal.

• The top twelve (12) finishers in each event of each age division will advance to the USATF Region 7 Championships to be held July 6-9, 2023, also at U of I.

Other Questions

It’s our first rodeo, so I am sure that I am leaving things out. If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me at rdenton81@icloud.com or shoot me a text at 618-204-2622. I’ll try to get to the bottom of whatever questions you might have. Looking forward to watching our kids compete!